(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/8/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations today condemned a plan by an Iranian newspaper to solicit cartoons denying the Nazi Holocaust.

Iran’s Hamshahri newspaper says the contest is in reaction to the publication in Europe of cartoons mocking Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. The controversy over those cartoon sparked worldwide protests.

In a statement, CAIR said:

“Now is the time for responsible people of all faiths to avoid inflammatory actions that are clearly designed to incite hatred. We call on Hamshahri newspaper to drop its plans to denigrate the immense suffering caused by the Nazi Holocaust and urge the Iranian government to repudiate such an insensitive proposal.

“The Quran, Islam’s revealed text, states: ‘Goodness and evil cannot be equal.
Repel (evil) with something that is better. Then you will see that he with whom you had enmity will become your close friend. And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint.’ (41:34-35)

“The Holocaust, like all other acts of genocide, represents one of the lowest moments in human history and should not be the subject of derogatory cartoons. One cannot demand responsible behavior from others while at the same time acting irresponsibly.”

Previously, CAIR and other American Muslim groups rejected the use of violence in response to the defamatory caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published in European newspapers.

In reaction to the cartoon controversy, CAIR officials met with the Norwegian and Danish ambassadors to express the Muslim community’s concerns about the caricatures and urged American Muslims to educate others about the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad.

CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 31 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.